The carry is a violation, but it has been rarely called, until now. So we ask, what really is a carry?
Do you know what a "carry" is in hoops? Would you even call it if you were a referee?
Yes, there is such a thing as carrying in basketball. Here in the Philippines, we might know it better as "lifting." The thing is, the NBA is enforcing it a bit more now after years of seemingly disregarding it. In fact, NBA refs called 57 carries in November alone—just 10 fewer than the 67 called in all of last season. This renewed emphasis on the carry is part of a larger crackdown on traveling, itself a long time coming given how so many players often get away with egregious travels.
Given the speed and pace by which the game is being played now, calling a travel is hard enough. Calling a carry is undeniably a headache, in part because the rule has long been open to interpretation and in part because a lot of players do it—and get away with it consistently. But if the letter of the law is followed, those players should be called for a carry more often than not.
So, what then is a carry? Rule 10, Section II-d of the NBA’s rulebook defines carrying as thus:
“A player who is dribbling may not put any part of his hand under the ball and (1) carry it from one point to another or (2) bring it to a pause and then continue to dribble again.”
FIBA has nearly the same definition of a carry, as specified under Article 24.1.2:
“During a dribble the player may not place any part of his/her hand under the ball and carry it from one point to another or bring the ball to a pause and then continue to dribble.”
Anyone who watches the NBA knows most ballhandlers place part of their hand under the ball. James Harden, Steph Curry, Ja Morant—they all do it, and they do it multiple times a game. So do Kyrie Irving, Luka Doncic, and many others. But is that a carry already?
Say for the sake of argument that placing part of the hand under the ball is not a carry per se. Say for the sake of argument, too, that a carry is only a carry when the player, as per FIBA and NBA rules, either carries the ball from one point to another or pauses while that hand is under the ball. That seems pretty cut and dry, right? Then again, what constitutes carrying the ball from one point to another? When is a pause a “pause” really? Did Curry carry the ball from one point to another here, or did he pause mid-dribble?
This is where things get hairy. The NBA describes carrying as a discontinued dribble, but today’s ballhandlers are so smooth, quick, and slick it can be hard to spot any discernable discontinuity in their handles. And that is why calling a carry is at best a judgement call—subject to the interpretation of the referees working the game. The refs in this early-season Heat-Warriors game seemed particularly strict, calling Jordan Poole for three carries:
Yes, carries are a thing now—finally. There has long been a rule on carrying, so it is nice that the world’s premier hoops league is enforcing it. But it is confusing to say the least, maybe because it was rarely called in years past.